By Ron Jackson
Phila Mpontshana retained the South African junior-lightweight title for the first time when he stopped the gutsy Lucky Monyebane in the eleventh round at the Portuguese Hall in Turfontein, Johannesburg on Sunday afternoon.
Mpontshana (58.68kg) made a slow start and possibly only shared the second round but did enough to shade the third. However, Monyebane (57.96kg) had a good fourth round scoring with his southpaw left to the head and body.
The champion was in control through rounds five and six and dropped the challenger to the canvas with a big right hand in the seventh round.
Monyebane never gave up and came back at the champion and possibly took the ninth round and was still in the fight.
The talented champion who was now in control backed Monyebane up against the ropes in round eleven and stunned him with a big right hand. He then pummelled the challenger with a series of lefts and rights and with nothing coming back, referee Tony Nyangiwe waved the fight off at 1 minute 33 seconds into the round.
Mpontshana, 27, who is a talent to be watched improved his record to 13-1; 7 and Monyebane’s record dropped to 5-2; 4 according to Boxrec.
In a clash for the vacant Gauteng junior-welterweight title Michael Mokoena (62.80kg) beat Tebogo Malose (63.05kg) on a ninth round technical knockout.
Speaking to South Africa’s most respected record keeper Andre de Vries after the fight he said “Malose has never fought as a junior-welterweight, never mind his last three consecutive fights. His last fight was at welterweight 3kg over the junior-welterweight limit. He has even contested the Provincial middleweight title, at 72.58kg, 9 kilograms over the junior-welterweight limit. To make matters worse Mokoena has fought once as a junior-welterweight, and his last 9 fights have been at lightweight 2.5kg below the junior welterweight limit. It is common knowledge that drastic weight reduction is the greatest cause of injury and death in the ring and to have allowed this contest to happen was possibly irresponsible.”
Another contest that raised a number of questions was the women’s heavyweight fight between Lillian Molala (92.00kg) and Shayvonne Pattison (108.40kg) which ended in a four round split- draw.
Molala in her most recent against Xolelwa Soka on March 10 this year weighed in at 76.02kg and going into the fight with Pattison she had a record of 2-9-1; 1
Pattison who was grossly overweight and out of condition had her last fight on May 19 2012 against Rita Mwebi and weighed 65.00 kg. Her record before the fight with Molala was: no wins, 4 losses and 2 draws. According to Boxrec her age is 46.
In view of the anomalies in the aforementioned fights, Boxing SA should possibly take a closer look at the matchmaking before sanctioning fights.
Other results: Junior-welterweight: Clement Kamanga beat Limbani Chipaka, tko 6; Welterweight: Jarred Silverman beat Zenzele Ntanzi, tko 5; Junior-lightweight: Paul Mangxilana, draw 6, Nyiko Ndukula; Junior-bantamweight: Layten Gloss beat Nkululeko Mnisi, pts 4; Featherweight: Bongani Mahlangu beat Asiphe Ntshili, pts 6; Junior-welterweight: Raymond Kupula draw 6, Junior Assoya; Lightweight: Ripfumelo Chikwambane beat Jose Mutombo, tko 4.
BOXING AT PRESLEYS NIGHT CLUB
Results from a tournament held at the Presley’s Night Club in Boksburg on Thursday, August 31.
Middleweight: Barend van Rooyen beat Chikondi Malawi, pts 8; Middleweight: Augustin Matata beat Charles Misango, dis 5; Junior-middleweight: Mark Farah beat Welcome Mulumbu, pts 4; Junior-welterweight: Marcus Lebogo beat Willis Baloyi, pts 6; Junior-middleweight: Etienne van Niekerk beat John Kanda Mpoyi, tko 2; Welterweight: Junior Makondo beat Tristan Truter, tko 1; Junior-welterweight: Dennis Mwale beat Tumi Nakedi, pts 4.